• Energy Research
• GB close
• US close
• EU close
• AT close
• Aurora Universities Network close

A new titanium-based sulfide clusterfullerene, Ti2S@D3h(24109)-C78, has been successfully synthesized by arc-discharging graphite rods packed with pure TiO2 and graphite powder under an atmosphere of SO2 and helium. Multistage HPLC methods were utilized to isolate and purify the Ti2S@C78, and mass spectrometric characterization confirmed the composition of a Ti2S cluster within a C78 cage. UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, electrochemical characterization and extensive DFT calculations led to the assignment of the cage symmetry to D3h(24109)-C78 and suggested an almost linear arrangement of the internal Ti2S cluster, with a formal transfer of six electrons from the cluster to the C78 cage. 10.1039/c3sc51124c

Abstract The eddy heat flux generated by statistically equilibrated baroclinic turbulence supported on a uniform, horizontal temperature gradient is examined using a two-layer β-plane quasigeostrophic model. The dependence of the eddy diffusivity of temperature, Dτ, on external parameters such as β, bottom friction κ, the deformation radius λ, and the velocity jump 2U, is provided by numerical simulations at 110 different points in the parameter space β* = βλ2/U and κ* = κλ/U. There is a special “pivot” value of β*, βpiv* ≈ 11/16, at which Dτ depends weakly on κ*. But otherwise Dτ has a complicated dependence on both β* and κ*, highlighted by the fact that reducing κ* leads to increases (decreases) in Dτ if β is less than (greater than) βpiv*. Existing heat-flux parameterizations, based on Kolmogorov cascade theories, predict that Dτ is nonzero and independent of κ* in the limit κ* → 0. Simulations show indications of this regime provided that κ* ≤ 0.04 and 0.25 ≤ β* ≤ 0.5. All important length scales in this problem, namely the mixing length, the scale of the energy containing eddies, the Rhines scale, and the spacing of the zonal jets, converge to a common value as bottom friction is reduced. The mixing length and jet spacing do not decouple in the parameter regime considered here, as predicted by cascade theories. The convergence of these length scales is due to the formation of jet-scale eddies that align along the eastward jets. The baroclinic component of these eddies helps force the zonal mean flow, which occurs through nonzero Reynolds stress correlations in the upper layer, as opposed to the barotropic mode. This behavior suggests that the dynamics of the inverse barotropic cascade are insufficient to fully describe baroclinic turbulence.

AbstractSubaerial biofilms (SAB) are intricate microbial communities living on terrestrial surfaces, of interest in a variety of contexts including cultural heritage preservation, microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and biotechnology. Here we propose a mathematical model aimed at better understanding the interplay between cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria, common microbial SAB constituents, and their mutual dependence on local environmental conditions. SABs are modeled as thin mixed biofilm-liquid water layers sitting on stone. A system of ordinary differential equations regulates the dynamics of key SAB components: cyanobacteria, heterotrophs, polysaccharides and decayed biomass, as well as cellular levels of organic carbon, nitrogen and energy. These components are interconnected through a network of energetically dominant metabolic pathways, modeled with limitation terms reflecting the impact of biotic and abiotic factors. Daily cylces of temperature, humidity, and light intensity are considered as input model variables that regulate microbial activity by influencing water availability and metabolic kinetics. Relevant physico-chemical processes, including pH regulation, further contribute to a description of the SAB ecology. Numerical simulations explore the dynamics of SABs in a real-world context, revealing distinct daily activity periods shaped by water activity and light availability, as well as longer time scale survivability conditions. Results also suggest that heterotrophs could play a substantial role in decomposing non-volatile carbon compounds and regulating pH, thus influencing the overall composition and stability of the biofilm.

AbstractPlant-based animal product alternatives are increasingly promoted to achieve more sustainable diets. Here, we use a global economic land use model to assess the food system-wide impacts of a global dietary shift towards these alternatives. We find a substantial reduction in the global environmental impacts by 2050 if globally 50% of the main animal products (pork, chicken, beef and milk) are substituted—net reduction of forest and natural land is almost fully halted and agriculture and land use GHG emissions decline by 31% in 2050 compared to 2020. If spared agricultural land within forest ecosystems is restored to forest, climate benefits could double, reaching 92% of the previously estimated land sector mitigation potential. Furthermore, the restored area could contribute to 13-25% of the estimated global land restoration needs under target 2 from the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, and future declines in ecosystem integrity by 2050 would be more than halved. The distribution of these impacts varies across regions—the main impacts on agricultural input use are in China and on environmental outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. While beef replacement provides the largest impacts, substituting multiple products is synergistic.

AbstractSmart meter roll-outs provide easy access to granular meter measurements, enabling advanced energy services, ranging from demand response measures, tailored energy feedback and smart home/building automation. To design such services, train and validate models, access to data that resembles what is expected of smart meters, collected in a real-world setting, is necessary. The REFIT electrical load measurements dataset described in this paper includes whole house aggregate loads and nine individual appliance measurements at 8-second intervals per house, collected continuously over a period of two years from 20 houses. During monitoring, the occupants were conducting their usual routines. At the time of publishing, the dataset has the largest number of houses monitored in the United Kingdom at less than 1-minute intervals over a period greater than one year. The dataset comprises 1,194,958,790 readings, that represent over 250,000 monitored appliance uses. The data is accessible in an easy-to-use comma-separated format, is time-stamped and cleaned to remove invalid measurements, correctly label appliance data and fill in small gaps of missing data.

Abstract An attractive path to the production of hydrogen from water is a two-step thermo chemical cycle powered by concentrated sunlight from a solar tower system. In the first process step the redox system, a ferrite coated on a monolithic honeycomb absorber, is present in its reduced form while the concentrated solar energy hits the ceramic absorber. When water vapour is fed to the honeycomb at 800 °C, oxygen is abstracted from the water molecules, bond in the redox system and hydrogen is produced. When the metal oxide system is completely oxidised it is heated up for regeneration at 1100–1200 °C in an oxygen-lean atmosphere. Under those conditions and in the second process step, oxygen is set free from the redox system, so the metal oxide is being reduced and after completion of the reaction again capable for water splitting. Since the overall process consists of two core reaction steps, which need to be carried out sequentially in a reactor unit at two different temperature steps, a special process and plant concept had to be developed enabling the continuous supply of product regardless of the alternating nature of the solar reactor operation. The challenge of the process control is to keep the two core reaction temperatures constant and to ensure regular temperature switches after completion of the individual process steps, independent of the weather conditions, like DNI fluctuation, clouds and wind speed. Also start-up, the fast switching after completion of half-cycles and the shutdown must be controlled. State of the art is the manual switching of heliostats to fulfil those control tasks. This paper describes the development and use of a system model of this process. The model consists of three main parts: the simulation of the solar flux distribution at the receiver aperture, the simulation of the temperatures in the reactor modules and the simulation of the hydrogen generation. It can be used for the analysis of the operational behaviour. The model is intended to be used in the future for the control of the whole process.

In this paper various emission reduction scenarios are evaluated with FUND - the Climate Framework for Uncertainty, Negotiation, and Distribution model. The aim is to help international negotiators improve upon the Kyoto Protocol. International cooperation in greenhouse gas emission reduction is important, and the more of it the better. The emission reduction targets as agreed in the Kyoto Protocol are irreconcilable with economic rationality. If the targets nevertheless need to be met, it is better to start emission reduction sooner than later in order to minimise costs. Methane emission reduction may be an important instrument to reduce costs. Copyright © 1999 by the IAEE. All rights reserved.